Reflection
by DemonSaya
Summary: It was any other day. Well, it was until Tohru got knocked into Yuki and SHE became the mouse. YUKIRU
1. Chapter 0: At First Glance

Reflection By: Demonsaya

Chapter 0: At First Glance...

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It was a lovely day, with blue skies lit by sunshine and laughter. At first glance, it looked like any other day, and those three teenagers on their way to school, looked like any other kids. Kids, who's primary concern would run along the lines of 'I wonder what grade I got on that test', or 'I wonder if she likes me'.

As they walked along, more children joined them, heading off to their destination, and they chatted, argued, laughed, frowned together. Ah yes, at first glance, these children had not a care in the world.

Nothing could ever go wrong.

And if this small group of teenagers was any other group of teenagers, they probably didn't have any problems. However, usually nothing is what it seems upon first glance.

After all, these were the Sohma's.

These children had many problems that most children never dreamed possible. Problems that the only ever shared with the small girl who walked amongst them. Problems that were shortly going to become even more real to her.

After all, today wasn't any other day.

Today, the girl, Honda Tohru, was going to be introduced to the same fear that all of the Sohma's have lived with all their life.

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AN: Short Chapter, I know. Sorry. Next chapter hopefully will be quite a bit longer. Also, sorry about the sort of Twilight Zoney thing I did with it. That is NOT what I wanted to happen. Blah, anyways, like it, love it, or hate it, please review my first chapter. 


	2. Chapter 1: Locked In

Reflection By: Demonsaya

Chapter 1: Locked In

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"Baka neko."

"Kuso nezumi."

"Baka neko."

"Kuso nezumi."

Honda Tohru laughed at their mild banter. She could see from the lack of heat in the conversation that things were mellowing out once again. It had been a matter of days since she had went to see Akito following the exposure of Kyo's secret.

Since she was finally allowed to be a member of their family.

Things hadn't changed too much. Shigure was still a pervert, yet he had began looking at Tohru with a sisterly affection. Hatori was still stiff and quiet, but he opened up more. Ayame still talked too fast for anyone to really understand what he was saying, but he had relaxed a bit. Hatsuharu didn't go black so often, Momiji was genuinely cheerful, and Kagura didn't try to destroy stuff so much. Ritsu didn't apologize as often, although he still dressed like a girl.

Everyone had changed just a bit.

Barely enough for someone who lived away from them to notice.

The biggest changes however, had been seen in Yuki and Kyo.

The boys arguments were less heated, and Kyou's temper wasn't so bad. Yuki however.

Tohru glanced towards him, smiling faintly. She could see a small smile turning up the corner of the boy's mouth. There it was. He was smiling more and more often. He had begun to accept that his brother would always be at least mildly insane, and would periodically go with her to his shop to see something they were working on.

They entered the school yard and as they began walking towards their class, a hand gently wrapped around hers. She blinked in surprise, and a faint blush covered her cheeks. She was pulled to a stop by Yuki, who waved everyone else to class.

"I need to talk to Honda-san." He said simply.

Half of the school yard was staring at them.

She glanced towards him and then around them. "Y-you want to talk to me?"

He noticed they were the center focus and smiled a bit. "Let's go someplace more private, okay?" He asked, seeing the blush splashing across her adorably beautiful face. He drug her towards the building, hearing people following them, people in the form of his stupid, irritatingly obsessed fanclub.

Tohru glanced behind her as they jogged into the building and then looked back a Yuki. He had a grim smile on his face and just as they entered the building and the door swung shut behind them, he pulled her into a broom closet, closing the door and putting his hand gently over her mouth.

"Be quiet, okay?" He whispered. He saw her wide blue eyes and blushed a bit at his forward actions. "Gomen, we'll talk when they're gone, okay?"

Seconds later, the sound of people running passed them and when the last footsteps passed them, he removed his hand.

Tohru stared at Yuki, then lowered her eyes shyly. The closet was VERY small and both of them had to stand very close to each other. "Y-you wanted to talk to me, Sohma-kun?"

He rested his back against the wall, sighing heavily. "Yeah." He said, then looked at her, his face serious. He slid down the wall, sitting carefully. He watched her do the same thing and smiled a bit. "We don't get a lot of aportunities to talk without being listened to."

She nodded in agreement. Why did he bring me here? She looked at him, blushing faintly.

"Honda-san, I know you like cats a lot..." He began, looking at his hands.

She blushed. "I like mice too..." She offered, blushing when his eyes jerked back to hers. She bit her lip, looking down.

He smiled faintly. "But do you like them as much as cats?"

She flushed. "I like them equally as much." She smiled. She wasn't missing the analogy, he was talking about Kyou and himself. "You know, Sohma-kun..." She began. "I like all animals, but I think the mice and cat are my favorite."

He shifted, looking at her perplexed. "You did something wonderful for Kyo." He said softly, wishing there was an easier way to go about asking her something this embarassing. "You saved him, you know..."

She looked at him, eyes wide. "You did too."

"How I felt didn't matter." He said evenly. "He didn't care what I said. It was how you responded that saved him." He looked down, smiling a bit. "You've saved everyone, and you don't realize it yet..."

She smiled a bit, secretively. "Have I saved you, too, Sohma-kun?"

He looked up at her in surprise. "Of course."

"I'm glad." She smiled brightly at him.

He paused, wondering what to do. He didn't know how to ask her. He didn't know what to say. He liked her a lot, but he just couldn't find the words to express himself. He examined her face closely, from her big blue eyes down to her soft-looking pink lips. He heard the stampede returning and watched her mouth begin to open again and he quickly put his hand over it. "Sh!" He said.

She blushed, listening to the people searching for them.

"YUKI-SAMA, WHERE ARE YOU!"

He cringed. Stupid fanclub! He scooted closer to Tohru, still searching her face. Her eyes were wide with surprise, and her face was flushed slightly. He put his other hand on the wall behind her to steady himself, keeping himself from falling against her, something that would inevitably trigger his transformation.

Tohru stared up at him, blushing furiously. His face was so close! What was he doing. She could hear them opening and closing doors and watched as Yuki removed his hand, locking the closet they were in. Moments later, the handle began to rattle and she almost squeeked, but his hand was back over her mouth.

He looked at her insistantly. He shook his head when he heard them moving to the next door. He relaxed a bit, before letting his head rest against hers. "Gomen." He whispered, removing his hand from her soft lips. His hand was warm from her breath and he rested his hands on her forearms. "Honda-san-"

She saw he was fighting to express himself. She smiled a bit, shaking her head. "It's okay, Sohma-kun!" She said softly, smiling at him, for him, trying to encourage him.

He paused, frowning a bit. "Ne, Honda-san...why am I the only one you call 'Sohma-kun'? We've known each other longer, right?"

She blushed, nodding. "Demo-"

The corner of his mouth twitched. She didn't want to call him by his name? Why? He lowered his gaze, sighing softly. "It's okay, Honda-san. Don't stress yourself about it. It was a stupid idea-"

"It wasn't stupid..." She said softly.

He looked at her in surprise. "Honda-san?"

"I..." She looked at the ground as though it were interesting. "I did not think that it would be appropriate...you are the school prince, you know..." She teased softly.

He searched her eyes. "Then I renounce my crown." He said softly. 

She looked at him in surprise. "Oh, no, I could never ask that!" She said in surprise.

"I don't want elevated into the clouds like a god, Honda-san." He said. "I..." He held her upper arms tightly. "I'm not a prince. I'm...I'm just a boy. Just the same as Kyo." He saw the shock on her face and blushed. "Is it too much to ask that you call me by my name?"

She looked at him for a long time. To call him by his name, something she never thought that she would ever do after...

She looked at the ground, remembering that one time. He'd been flushed with sickness, and she had shyly uttered his name, and before her eyes, he changed into a mouse, without her ever touching him. "It's not too much...Y-yuki-kun..." She whispered.

His eyes widened and he looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to actually do it. Her soft words caused his heart to jump up and close off his throat. He felt a much unwanted blush cover his cheeks and he smiled. "Arigatou..." He said softly.

"But if I do, you have to use my name, too." She said, smiling at him brightly.

He looked at her in surprise. "Hontou? You want me to?"

Sne nodded. "Hm."

He smiled faintly. "Okay, Tohru-san..." He said, relaxing his grip on her arms and slowly began to pull away. He liked the taste of her name on his lips. He blushed a bit, looking at the ground, dropping his hands completely.

She smiled at him shyly. "Arigatou, Yuki-kun..." She said softly.

He began to stand up and reached down to help her. She was light, so he hauled her easily to her feet. When she was standing, he heard the bell ring and reached for the handle. "We're going to be late." He said softly.

She nodded shyly.

He reached for the door knob and tried to turn it. It was locked still. He reached down, turning the lock, and tried again.

It didn't budge.

His eyes widened and he began shaking the door harder.

Had he been outside, he would have seen a dog and a snake give each other a high five. But he wasn't, so he had no idea that the two were even there.

He sighed, looking towards Tohru, who looked very confused. "Gomen, ne?" He smiled his small smile and tilted his head to the side. "It looks like we are stuck here til someone finds us."

Tohru blushed, looking at him. He had such a nice smile. "P-pretty..." She whispered.

He heard her softly whispered words and froze. He frowned a bit. "Ano..."

"Ah!" She blushed, realizing her heard her and covered her mouth. "Gomen nasai, Yuki-kun!" She whispered.

His mouth twitched. Why was he always associated with 'pretty', anyways! Boys aren't pretty! He frowned a bit, looking out the window. "Ne, Tohru-san..." He said softly. He didn't continue, choosing instead to wonder in his head. She doesn't actually see me as a boy, does she...

"Eto..." She shifted, turning and facing the wall. "I meant that Yuki-kun is pleasing to the eyes..." She said softly. "He is very nice to look at. I didn't mean to offend you..." She felt his eyes on her and began tracing a small circle on the wall.

"Why does everyone associate me to pretty?" He asked softly, looking at the ground, wearing an annoyed expression.

Tohru turned, looking at him, surprised. "Yuki-kun?"

He wanted to hit something. He glared at the wall, considering brutalizing it, but he didn't want to show that side of himself in front of Tohru. "Boy's don't like being called 'pretty'." He grumbled, feeling disgruntled, maybe a bit insulted. He felt a soft hand on his cheek and blinked, looking over at Tohru, who was smiling faintly.

She gently touched his face, running her fingertips across his cheeks, his forehead, his nose. A tiny smile turned up her lips. She could see surprise in his purple eyes and gently, she covered his lips with her fingertips. "Perhaps Yuki-kun is right." She said softly, tilting her head and smiling brightly. "Pretty is the wrong word. I think..." She paused, blushing faintly. "I think Yuki-kun is very handsome." She said softly.

He stared at her in surprise and then smiled brightly at her. If he could have hugged her without becoming a nezumi, he would have done it. Instead, he gently brushed a strand from her face and rested his forehead against hers once again.

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Kyo was getting annoyed. Tohru and Yuki still were nowhere to be found. He walked through the halls, Hana and Uotani walking with him. Now and then, Hana would pause and head in a different direction. "Can't you do this any faster!" He complained.

"I think I've located them." She said, stopping in front of a closet door.

He looked at her incredulously "Oi, don't mess around! Why the heck would they be in there!"

"Maybe they're makin out." Teased Uo-chan, who ruffled Kyo's hair. 

Hanajima frowned, trying to turn the handle. It was locked. She dropped to her knees, examining the lock. It was locked from the outside.

"They're locked in." She said, looking at Uotani. "Uo-chan, will you be able to unlock it?"

Uotani snorted. "Of course. What to you take me for?" She reached into her pocket, pulling out a lock pick. It didn't take her long to jimmy the lock free. When it was done, she turned the handle, peeking in. Sure enough, they were there. She gave a small smile, closing the door again.

"They're sleeping." She said. "They must have been hiding from his fanclub and hid here. I wonder how they got locked in."

Kyo growled. "I smell the work of a dog..." He grumbled. "Let's wake 'em up."

Uo-chan shrugged, opening the door to Kyo's view.

He winced a bit. They slept leaning against the wall, Tohru's head leaning against Yuki's shoulder. "Oi, Nezumi, class is almost over. Wake up."

Yuki opened his eyes slowly, seeing Kyo leaning over them, wearing a strange expression. Why was he glaring at them? Suddenly, the weight on his shoulder caught his attention and he turned his head, feeling a blush spread across his face like wildfire.

Tohru heard Kyo's voice and opened her eyes, wondering what was that comfortable thing she'd been resting against. She straightened up and saw Kyo and her two best friends looking at her. "Eh, Kyo-kun? Hana-chan? Uo-chan?" She asked softly, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Class is about to end and unless you want Yuki's fanclub to know of this cuddly-cute little scene, I suggest you get out of that closet." Uotani teased.

Tohru looked confused. She glanced over and saw Yuki with a faint blush on his face, looking down at his knees. She blushed, jumping to her feet and quickly leaving the closet. She heard Yuki follow her and forced herself to look at the ground.

Hana-chan frowned, examining the pair closely. There was something strange about Tohru's vibes today. They felt similar to the Sohma cousin's vibes. She was about to open her mouth to discuss it, when Uotani gave Tohru a playful shove.

Torhu, not expecting it, was unable to keep herself from falling into Yuki's chest.

Kyo couldn't stop it, Yuki didn't notice until it was too late.

POOF!

Yuki was the first to notice something was wrong. He didn't feel any different. He opened his eyes and saw he still had ten fingers attatched to human hands. So then was it Kyo?

No, Kyo hadn't changed either. He was also counting fingers and reached up, finding no ears.

So then who changed?

"KYAA!" Uo screamed. "MOUSE!"

"Huh?"

As the smoke cleared, Yuki looked down, seeing a small brown mouse attatched to his uniform. But...how had this happened? Where was Torhu? Big blue eyes stared up at him in shock and it suddenly hit him. "Tohru-san...?" He asked weakly.

Hanajima carefully plucked the mouse of of Yuki, frowning deeply. "Tohru-chan?"

"WHAT!" Uotani and Kyo both cried.

The bell rang.

It went unnoticed.

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AN: So, what do you think? This idea came to me a LONG time ago, and It's only now getting put down on paper. It's been slowly progressing and changing and this is the final result. The title is kind of a play on words. Tohru and Yuki are 'Locked In' a closet, but Yuki is also having a lot of trouble expressing himself, so you could say his emotions are also 'locked in'. Anyways, love it, hate it, but please review it. 


	3. Chapter 2: Well, Isn't this Interesting

Reflection By: DemonSaya

Chapter 2: Well, Isn't this Interesting

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"Oh my god..." Yuki whispered, as people filled the halls. He heard people calling him, but was too stunned with what was happening to notice. Tohru's school uniform was in a pile on the ground, and all that was left in her place was this tiny brown furred, blue-eyed mouse. It clung to him, looking absolutely terrified.

Kyo was speachless, stunned.

"UWAH! There's a rat on Prince Yuki! Quickly! Kill it!"

He heard one of the members of his fanclub scream and was quick to hide it in his pocket. They chased their imagined rat and he breathed slightly easier.

"What...just happened?" Uotani asked.

Kyo groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "You know we're going to have to go talk to Shigure now..." He grumbled softly.

Yuki frowned a bit, picking up Tohru's clothing and shoving them into his pack.

"Um, is anyone going to answer my question?"

"Her vibes have changed..." Hana offered, looking very confused as well. It looked like their vibe were changing as well. She looked at Yuki, frowning deeply at the boy. "I think we deserve some answers."

He nodded in agreement. He glanced at Kyo. "I'm taking her home, I'll take them with me. Get Momiji and Haru." He said evenly. "I'll have Shigure call everyone else." He watched Kyo hesitate. "Look, we don't know how long she'll stay like she is, and it's best if the 'kuso nezumi' stays with her as she bumped into me and evidentally got this because of that."

Kyo grudgingly nodded, then disappeared into the crowd.

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"Ah, not long until the delightful love-love begins in Yuki-chan's life!" Ayame said cheerfully.

"Uwah! If only I had been a fly on the wall inside of that closet!" Shigure mourned. "To see the sweet kisses the pair surely shared!"

"We didn't kiss, you two perverts."

The shocked pair turned, finding Yuki with Tohru's two friends. "Ah! Hanajima-san, Uotani-san! It is so good to see you once again! This is Sohma Ayame, Yuki's older brother!" He gestured to the snake. "To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure!"

Yuki gently reached into his pocket, pulling out Tohru. He held her between his two hands, showing the two older boys the young girl turned mouse. "I don't know what happened...Uotani-san pushed her a bit and she fell into me..."

Ayame's eyes widened. "Tohru-kun?"

"Tohru-kun?" Shigure lifted the mouse, staring at her in surprise. "What on earth?"

Yuki quickly took her back. "I'm taking her to the bathroom so she can change back in private, call everyone else..." He said evenly. "I think...perhaps even Akito-san shall need to see this."

He carried her deeper into the house and pulled her clothing from his bag, laying it and her on the toilet. "I'll wait outside."

She hadn't spoken since the transformation had taken place. Her eyes were big and frightened, and she was shaking furiously.

He paused, about to leave her, then knelt beside her. "It'll be okay, Tohru-san..." He said softly, gently stroking her soft brown fur. "We'll figure out what happened."

She nodded slowly, watching him go. This was officially the most traumatizing thing that had ever happened to her. More traumatizing than when she had first seen them transform into animals. Speaking of which, why was she an animal? She'd fallen into him before and this had never happened. And what had Hana-chan said about vibes?

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"Ne, Kyo-kun! Why are we leaving school early!"

Kyo didn't respond. He was thinking back to what had happened. Something had happened. Their secret should have been exposed, yet Tohru was the mouse, not Yuki. What on earth had happened to her? He frowned, remembering the rather disgustingly sweet position they had been in inside the closet and frowned deeper. What had happened between those two?

He approached the house, completely ignoring Momiji and Haru's questions. When he arrived, he found the others were sitting, discussing the event nervously. Even Akito was there, his eyes mildly interested.

Not long afterwards, Yuki and Tohru appeared, Tohru back to normal. Everyone sat down and waited for anyone to break the silence.

"Okay, what the hell happened at school today?" Shigure demanded. "Ayame and I played a nice trick on Yuki and Tohru, but what happened after that? How did Tohru wind up a mouse!"

Akito arched an eyebrow. "A mouse? Isn't the Junishii animal a...rat?"

"But Rat's not a good word for Tohru-chan!" Ayame said, waving a hand cheerfully. "Besides, she was so cute like that!"

Tohru blushed, looking at her lap.

Uotani tilted her head to the side. "What the hell are you all talking about? Junishii? Rats? I want to know what the hell is going on?"

Hatsuharu looked at her and arched an eyebrow. "Hug one of us. You'll find out."

Hanajima looked around, seeing the bashful expression on Tohru's face. "How long have you known their secret, Tohru-chan?"

Torhu looked at her surprised. "Eto, since I first came to live here." She said. "I accidentally triggered Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, and Shigure-san's transformation." She said softly.

Hanajima nodded, understanding.

"Transformation! What the hell!"

Akito frowned deeply. This was troubling. He glanced towards Hatori, wondering if perhaps he shouldn't hide the family secret once again.

Hanajima looked directly at him, tilting her head to the side. "You're not like them." She noticed, arching an eyebrow. "Your vibes are different." She prodded a bit further and felt death wrapped around him. She frowned.

He looked directly at her. "I am Sohma Akito, head of the family."

Uotani was getting annoyed. None of her questions were getting answered. "WOULD SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT THE HELL YA'LL ARE TALKING ABOUT!"

Tohru jumped. "Eto, Uo-chan, please calm down. It's actually harder to explain than you might think..." She looked down.

Shigure began to explain. "Most of us, Akito-san being the exception are possessed by the spirit of one of the Junishii animals. When we are embraced by someone of the opposite sex, or we are weakened-"

"Or embarassed." Tohru added, glancing towards Yuki who blushed a bit.

"Indeed." Shigure nodded. "We change."

"Change? Change how?"

"Allow me to demonstrate." Kyo offered, picking up Momiji, who's earlier whining caused him to be the test subject. He tossed the rabbit at Uotani, who caught him instinctively.

POOF!

Uotani stared down at her lap finding a rather large rabbit sitting there. "WHAT THE HELL!"

"UWAHH! KYO-KUN! HIDOI YO!" Momiji sobbed, hiding in Uotani's lap.

Yuki put his face in his hand. What a disaster.

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When everything had calmed down once again, they began contemplating what had happened to Tohru. No one could understand why she had changed into a Nezumi.

Tohru continued looking at the ground. She had a theory of her own, but she hesitated to voice it, so she remained silent. When she had been falling into Yuki she had been scared that she was going to break her promise. That she would accidentally expose him as being possessed by the spirit of the rat. She had prayed that she was the one who changed, instead of him.

"Honda Tohru-san..."

She looked up, finding Akito adressing her. "A-akito-san?" She asked softly.

"You look deep in thought. Have you a theory?" He asked, his whispery soft voice.

She blushed. "Eto...I think I might..." She said softly.

Yuki looked at her, surprised.

"Do tell..." Akito sensed that she had a better grasp on the situation than the rest did.

She hesitated, but everyone was looking at her. "I...I promised that I would keep it a secret." She said softly. She heard everyone's whispers and blushed, looking at the ground. "When Uo-chan pushed me...all I could think of was that my promise would be broken...I NEVER break my promises." She said softly.

Yuki looked at her in shock. She had caused the transformation herself? He glanced at her face and frowned. She was telling the truth.

"Then why are your vibes like theirs?"

She looked at Hanajima and tilted her head to the side. "I don't know." She admitted. "It's just a theory." She admitted. "All I can do is say what I was thinking...and what I think might have happened."

Akito arched an eyebrow. Indeed, this girl was special. She would rather be considered a freak herself than let their secret out. Truly special.

"Uwai! Tohru-chan wa sugoi, ne!" Ayame cried, throwing his arms around the girl.

POOF!

Tohru slithered out of her clothing, feeling miserable.

"Okay..." Hatori said slowly. "If she did it, why did that just happen?"

"Valid point." Shigure said. "Everyone here knows the truth, so that shouldn't have happened."

Akito stood gracefully. "I think I may understand, now." He said softly. "The curse has changed, I am not sure why." He looked at her, his eyes softening just a bit. It wasn't noticable to anyone besides Hatori and Yuki, who were used to the cold expressions that were always on his face. "It is too late to change it. Our curse is being reflected onto her." 

Everyone looked at her in surprise. "Tohru-san?" Yuki whispered. He saw the somewhat sad expression on her face and realization suddenly hit him. "She can't go to school anymore, can she?"

Akito shook his head. "It's too dangerous. She is a member of this family now, honorary or not, she is still bound by the rules. She would be exposed whenever one of the junishii should encounter circumstances in which they would transform."

Yuki lowered his head. "Sou desu ka..." He said softly. He carefully picked her and her clothing up, walking to her room. He ignored everyone's whispers as he carefully set her on her bed. "Gomen, Tohru-san..." He said softly. "This is partially my fault..."

She shook her head. "I would rather be schooled in private than expose your families secret."

"But what about your promise to your mother!" He exclaimed. Then, he blushed, looking at the ground. "Forget I said anything." He began. He started to stand and heard the soft poof and glanced back, finding Tohru sitting there with tears flowing down her face. He froze. "T-Tohru-san..."

She wiped her eyes, trying to find a way to express herself. "I know, Yuki-kun..." She said softly. "I have to break one promise in order to keep another. I wish there was another way."

He looked at the ground, grabbing a blanket and gently, he wrapped it around her shoulders. "I shouldn't have brought it up...I'm-"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Daijoubu, Yuki-kun." She said softly. "I'm happy that I get to keep your secret a little longer."

He froze, looking down at her in surprise. "Why are you so selfless?" He asked, grabbing her arms, shaking her a bit. "It's okay to be sad! It's okay if you need to cry!"

She looked at him in surprise. "I shouldn't cry, Yuki-kun. I'm glad that I kept your secret."

His frustration with her grew as she continued to softly speak. Her selflessness had caused her to get in this situation in the first place! "Baka! It's okay to be selfish once in awhile!"

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Y-yuki-kun...?" She smiled a bit. "It's okay, you know? I promise I'll be okay. You don't have to try to cheer me up-"

He snapped. Roughly, he pulled her forwards, kissing her silent. He held her shoulders tightly, holding her as close to him as he dared.

Tohru froze. Soft lips were pressed against hers, fingers dug into her shoulders, intense purple eyes were closed, his brow was furrowed. He was kissing her. Kissing her. Her. She felt her eyes slowly drift closed and her breath sighed out of her. She leaned into his kiss a bit, accepting it, losing herself in it.

Slowly, his frustration left, and he relaxed his grip slowly, pulling back. He took a shuddering breath, opening his eyes to look at her face. 'I did it...' He thought, feeling a blush begin to color his cheeks. Her eyes were still closed, and he held his breath. As they slowly opened, he saw amazement in them, and an unexpected tear fell down her face.

"Well...Isn't this interesting?"

The pair jerked apart, Tohru wrapping the blanket tighter around herself.

Shigure stood in the doorway, a wide grin on his face. Beside him was Ayame, and Hatori, and behind them was Akito. All of them had a twinge of amusement on their faces at the pairs embarassment.

"SHIGURE!" Yuki snarled, lunging at him.

Ayame laughed, wrapping his arms around his younger brother. "Oh, dear, Yuki-chan! It is so good to see you in such sweet love-love with our dearest Tohru-kun!"

Tohru blushed, hiding herself the best she could.

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Kyo watched from down the hall as Yuki tried to break free of his brother's grasp. He sighed heavily. He had always suspected it would come to this. It would appear that Yuki was always a step ahead of him. He frowned, looking away. He saw Kagura looking at him with a somewhat sad expression on her face and growled a bit, walking down the stairs and out the front door, slamming it shut.

Kagura lowered her gaze, sighing softly. Tohru always had a leg up on her. She didn't understand why. After all, she was pretty, too. She loved Kyo. She bit her lip, then felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Hatsuharu looking at her. "Haru-chan..." She said softly.

"Don't worry, Kagura-chan. Boys always want most what's out of their reach."

She sighed softly, nodding a bit. "Hai, Haru-chan..."

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AN: No, I'm not going to spill the secret yet. You'll have to wait a bit longer. I'm trying to make this interesting, and to be honest...I'm not really sure how I'm going to end it yet. Don't worry, I'll make love and peace for everyone. Also, if you notice, Akito isn't bein a psychotic jerk in my story. If you paid attention in the beginning, I mention that this happens a little while after the original story ends! Hope you liked that twist of Yukiru in it! Love it, hate it, please review it! Love you guys! Ja! 


	4. Chapter 3: Of Life, Love, and Mice

Reflection By: Demonsaya

Chapter 3: Of Life, Love, and Mice

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AN: Thanks to Mrs. VashTheStamped, Grrl N, and DarkMage6 for their support and encouragement. Also a note, I just skimmed through the Furuba Fanfiction and saw there was ANOTHER fic called Reflection. I was rather annoyed, but I'm too lazy to retitle it, so I wont. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Oh, P.S. And for the record, I don't own Yuki, Torhu, or any of the other characters in this story. I wish. Thanks for the support!

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Tohru sighed heavily as she prepared the very large dinner for the Sohma family. After all, Shigure had encouraged them to stay to taste Tohru's 'masterpiece'. Since the incident in her room, she hadn't seen Yuki, who was hiding from his brother behind the locked door in his own room.

Uotani and Hanajima both helped her, almost reminding her of when they would be in home economics together.

Everyone was doing their own thing, now. Kagura was quietly cleaning in another room, Kyo was hiding on the roof, the older Sohma's were speaking quietly, while the youngest ones were outside playing.

"So, Tohru-chan, what happened between you and the prince?" Uotani asked, grinning from ear to ear. "A little snuggling? Kissing? Hm?"

Tohru blushed, looking down. "Iie..." She objected. "It's not like that, Uo-chan!" She said, hiding her flushed face.

"I wonder how this happened..." Hanajima wiped down a counter quietly, her eyes darkening. "I feel some strange vibrations. I wonder if someone didn't attempt to hex you."

She looked at her in surprise. "Hex me?"

"Of course. The entire fanclub saw what has been happening between you and the prince for approaching two years now." She grabbed a vegetable, beginning to cut it easily. "I don't know if any of them are in touch with the occult, but if they are..." She paused, looking at Tohru. "I think you could be in danger."

Tohru sighed. "It doesn't matter, if I can't go to school, there should be no problem, right?"

Uotani looked at her shocked. "Not go to school?"

Tohru hid her sadness behind a bright smile. "Of course, Uo-chan, I can't let their secret be known! Especially if it's my secret as well..." She felt pain grasp her heart and looked down. "It'll be okay. I'm sure Yuki and Kyo will bring my homework to me, so I can still graduate..."

Uotani frowned deeply. "Tohru-chan..." She said softly.

Tohru continued with dinner, keeping that same practiced, vacant smile on her face. She picked up the pots, walking carefully into the main room, setting the soup on the table. She set out place settings for everyone, forgetting no one. Hanajima followed shortly afterwards, then Uotani carried in the last of it.

"Hey, ya'll, dinner's done!" Uotani shouted, summoning everyone into the room.

Everyone sat, and Tohru noticed two settings sat alone. She frowned, tilting her head to the side. She did a quick head count and realized that Yuki and Kyo were missing. She sighed heavily, standing. "I'll go get Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun..." She said softly, beginning to walk towards their rooms.

Kagura jumped to her feet. "I'll get Kyo-kun." She offered.

Tohru smiled. "Hai, arigatou, Kagura-san." She said, then walked up the stairs to Yuki's room. She gently tapped on the door. There was no answer. Slowly, she turned the knob, peering inside. The boy lay facing the door, his eyes closed, his face relaxed in sleep. She walked in, looking at his sleeping face and smiled faintly.

She knelt beside his bed, brushing his hair from his face. He was so cute. His soft grey hair hung in front of his closed eyes, eyes that she knew were an intense shade of purple. She sat there, lightly caressing his cheek. "Yuki-kun..." She said softly. "Yuki-kun, dinner's ready."

He opened his eyes slowly and saw a brilliant blue pair looking at him. "Tohru..." He mumbled sleepily. He reached up, catching her hand as she tried to pull it back. He pulled her closer to the edge of the bed, wishing that he wasn't here, wishing that for a moment he wasn't Sohma Yuki, that she wasn't Honda Tohru, that they were somewhere else, some wonderland that just belonged to them, where he could hold her and be with her without having to worry about the stupid curse that was reflecting upon her.

She blushed slightly, looking down at his beautiful face. She wished she could hug him, but then she would have to explain why she was a mouse once again. Instead, she leaned over, lightly kissing his cheek. She blushed as she did, then sat back on her heels. "Dinner's done." She said softly.

He looked at her, praying his heart wasn't in his eyes. "O-okay..." He sat up, on the edge of the bed. He looked down, seeing Tohru on her knees before him and his face flushed darkly as she leaned forward, resting her cheek against his thighs. "T-Tohru-san..." He blushed, not moving.

She closed her eyes, resting her face there. She didn't say anything, just took the moment's comfort, feeling him slowly relax, his fingers reaching down, lightly touching her hair.

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"Kyo-kun."

"Go away." He grumbled, not looking behind him.

"Please, Kyo-kun, you really should eat..." She said softly.

He didn't look back. He could hear as Kagura slowly approached him, but continued to sulk, rather than turning towards her. "I'm not hungry."

She sat down, looking up at the sky. "You're in love with Tohru-chan aren't you." She said softly, wrapping her arms around her knees.

He froze, glancing towards her. She had a resigned look on her face. "What the heck are you talking about?" He complained, glaring into the dark night. "Don't be rediculous."

She traced a small pattern on the roof. "I can see it, Kyo-kun. I'm not blind. You look at her like she's the only girl in the world to you. I don't mind, you know. You can be honest with me. I understand...Or at least I'll try to."

He snorted. "Give me a break." He stood, preparing to run off.

She looked up at him sadly. "I can be content with you just being happy." She said softly, before standing. "I'm sorry. I wont pursue you anymore..." She turned away from him, then began walking away.

"Baka." He whispered softly. He didn't face her. "Don't be so stupid." He grumbled, walking past her, to the ladder. "I'm not in love with Tohru." He said evenly, mounting the ladder.

"Liar." She said softly. She saw him stop and looked at him, her eyes sad. "Tohru did something for you that I can never do. I know you love her. You love her as much as Yuki does."

"Stop trying to tell me how I feel."

She lowered her eyes as he left the roof, and wrapped her arms around herself. "Baka." She whispered. "I've always been able to see how you felt." She whispered softly.

He paused, barely catching her words. He heard her crying softly and cursed, climbing back onto the roof. "Oi. Come on, let's go eat."

"I've suddenly lost my appetite." She said softly. She saw Kyo with a small smile on his face and blushed, lowering her eyes.

He slowly extended a hand to her, wondering if she would in fact take it. He saw the surprise on her face and felt a twinge. A memory flashed into his mind. A time when both of them were much younger. A time when he had extended his hand out to her in a similar manner. She had taken it, and a short time later, his secret had been exposed to her.

She saw his hand tremble a bit, and she looked at his face, detecting a tiny hint of fear. She took a shaky breath, putting her hand into his.

His eyes widened. She had taken it? He pulled her to her feet, looking at her in confusion. "I'm sorry." He said, not entirely certain why he was apologizing. He saw the tears in her eyes and was shocked when suddenly she threw her arms around him, sobbing softly. "K-Kagura!"

She hugged him tightly. "Kyo-kun!" She whispered. "I missed you!"

He closed his eyes, gently resting one hand on top of her head, and the other on her shoulder. "Come on, let's go get some grub."

She pulled back, blinking a tear away, then she nodded, smiling up at him. A smile that had always been for him, and only him.

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Dinner was a smashing success, and Tohru blushed under all the flattery. Everyone left afterwards, leaving the small family alone once again. Kagura helped Tohru clean the dishes, and then everyone went to bed.

Yet, elsewhere, someone was wearing a dark expression. How was it, no matter what she did, she didn't manage to drive that girl away! She growled, balling her small hands into tight fists. "She has my Yuki-chan!" She snarled, trying to think of something else she could do to drive a wedge between the pair.

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Tohru woke slowly, sitting upright. Something felt strange. The room felt far larger than normal. She looked around, then down, realizing she was in her tiny mouse form. She blinked, jumping up onto her dresser, looking into the small mirror. How had this happened? Yuki was no where nearby, so why was she like this?

The phone beside her bed ran and she frowned deeply. There was no way she could answer it!

But it was going to wake someone up!

She began running back and forth around the phone and heard her door open. "Tohru-san?" She looked up and saw Yuki standing in her doorway.

He looked at the bed and found it empty. The phone stopped ringing and he looked at it. Sitting in front of it was a small, brown mouse. He stared. What had happened? Why was Tohru a mouse again!

She stared up at him through big eyes. "Yuki-kun, what's happening to me!" She cried.

He dropped to his knees, staring at her. "Tohru!" He whispered, picking her up gently. He held her closely to his face, inspecting her. He saw the tears in her tiny mouse eyes and felt his heart ache. "It's okay, Tohru, I'll call Hatori...maybe he'll-"

The phone shrilled again.

He picked it up without thinking. "Hello?"

"Why are you in Tohru's room, Yuki-ouji-sama?" Hanajima asked ominously.

"Ano, I heard her phone ring a few minutes ago, no one answered-"

She heard him stop and frowned. "Is Tohru-chan okay?"

"She's a mouse again! I don't know why!" Yuki was starting to panic. "I don't know what's wrong, I didn't hug her or anything, she shouldn't be a mouse right now!"

Hanajima sighed on the other end. "Yuki-ouji-sama, please put Tohru-chan on the phone."

He held the phone up to her tiny mouse ear.

"Tohru-chan, this is Hana-chan." She said calmly. "Are you okay?"

"Uhuh...but I think Yuki-kun is having a heart attack."

"You're a mouse right now?"

"Uhuh."

"I'm on my way over."

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Everyone in the house was awake when Hanajima arrived. She had a small black bag with her. She picked up Tohru, who was still a mouse, and carried her into the girls room, leaving the others to pace in the living room nervously.

Tohru sat on the bed, looking up at Hanajima, who pulled out a small deck of cards.

"I'm going to lay out five, I want you to pick one." She watched as Tohru nodded, and laid out the cards.

Tohru jumped on one, then looked up at her as Hanajima flipped it over. It was a Queen of Swords. She watched as Hanajima frowned. "There is a woman causing this. She's older, not a child anymore, but barely an adult...she seems to resent you. I wonder why..." She looked at Tohru. "Five more, then."

Tohru watched as she laid out five more cards, and put her paw on her next choice.

"Hm...Two of cups." She turned over the one on it's right side of that card and her frown deepened a bit. One card was the lovers card and she looked at Tohru meaningfully. It was upside down. "You have recently joined in a relationship with someone, but this card..." She pointed at the reversed lovers card. "Suggests maybe the person who is represented by the queen of hearts believes she is in a relationship with the same person."

Tohru blushed, looking at the blanket on her bed. "Yuki-kun and I are just friends..." She said softly, wishing he was there with her.

"Five more, then..." Hanajima pulled five more cards. "Pick two."

Tohru picked the two on opposing ends.

"Hmmm...how odd." She peered at the cards. One was the eight of swords, the other, was the fool. "Somehow, your innocence has led to the entrapment in this body. This is a very delicate time for you..." She sighed, shaking her head. "Tohru-chan..."

Tohru looked down. "Five more, then?" She asked.

She nodded. "Five more, then, and pick one." She laid out the cards, and flipped the card that Tohru had chosen. The Ace of Swords. "And one for clarity..." She pulled a card and set it down. "The Death Card!" She stared at it. She frowned a bit. "You are in for a great challenge, and a great change. Something will happen that will put your relationship to the test. I know not what, but you must believe in yourself, you must believe in your family." She lifted her eyes. "Tohru-"

She lowered her head. "Such a dark reading, Hana-chan..." She said softly.

Hanajima reached into her cloak, pulling out a small vial. "This is blessed water..." She reached around her neck. "And this is an amulet. It will hopefully prevent any more evil from befalling you. Annoint it every day with the water..." She stood.

Tohru nodded, smiling sadly. "Hai, Hana-chan."

She picked up her friend, kissing both of her cheeks. "Tohru, you must keep the necklace on you every day, or something bad will happen."

She nodded. "I will, I promise."

She picked up the necklace, putting the slender silver chain around her neck. "Just a drop of the water will do, and don't worry, everything will work out." Moments later, Tohru was Tohru again, and Hanajima wrapped her robe around her. "I will let everyone else know that you are okay..."

She nodded, pulling on her pajama's.

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Yuki looked up, seeing Hanajima coming down the stairs. "Is Tohru-san alright!" He asked, jumping to his feet.

Hanajima looked at him, wearing a strange expression. "She is fine, for now."

Tohru came down a short time later, wearing the amulet, and saw relieved expressions on everyone's faces. She gave them all sweet smiles and bowed. "I'm sorry if I worried everyone." She saw Yuki's expression was relieved and blushed, looking at the ground.

Hanajima took her hands. "Remember what I told you, Tohru-chan." She said softly. She looked at her urgently. "Every day, and never take it off."

She nodded, smiling. "I'll remember, Hana-chan." She promised.

The girl nodded, walking towards the front door.

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Hanajima frowned deeply. There was nothing else she could do. Her magic was only a temporary fix. Soon, it would all be on her. She closed her eyes, uttering a silent prayer for her friend.

Soon, her faithfullness to the Sohma family would be tested, and the woman who had cast the spell would cast a far stronger spell. One of words, rather than magic. A threat that would undoubtedly break everyone's heart.

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AN: Another chapter gone. More notes too. Hanajima senses vibes, and I think she might be a little psychic. The cards and meanings of them might be a little bit off, It's been awhile since I studied my own cards, but cards are also open to interpretation. The amulet and the blessed water are things that I took a leap of faith on. Well, anyways, Like it, Love it, Hate it, but please review it! Otherwise I might not put up the next chapter! Jk, I'll put it up, it just might take awhile. 


	5. Chapter 4: Eyes Like Yours

Reflection By: Demonsaya

Chapter 4: Eyes Like Yours...

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AN: Thank you, Grrl N for letting me know of my folly with Hana's name in the last chapter, it has been corrected. Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu.

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The subsequent days were tense. Kagura remained in the house, assisting Tohru, who fortunately hadn't turned into a mouse since she had last put on the amulet. Mind you, Yuki and Tohru had also been on the verge of avoiding each other, which was driving everyone, themselves included, crazy.

Tohru wiped a bit of sweat off her head as she worked in the small garden that Yuki had kept for so long. Since she had such long days to herself now, there wasn't much else she could do. She had cleaned the house from top to bottom in the first day. The next day, she found herself washing, drying, ironing, and folding ALL the laundry in the house. Clean or not.

She had never realized how much of her life was actually taken up with school. Even her part time job wasn't enough to distract her.

Especially since the person she'd been trying to avoid since their last encounter insisted on walking her not only from, but now TO work. She blushed, remembering the rather stubborn look on his face when he had told her the matter wasn't really up for discussion.

She didn't even really understand why she was avoiding him so much. A small sigh escaped her. Because she was afraid to like him too much.

She glanced towards the strawberry bush and idly, she went towards it, gently shifting leaves, trying to find any ripe berries. Perhaps if there were, she could make strawberry short-cake. As she dug through them, she failed to notice the figure approaching from behind her.

Suddenly, a hard blow caused Tohru's vision to spin. She turned, finding herself looking into an angry woman's face. She staggered backwards, feeling the edges of her vision fading to black. Yet, she forced herself to examine the woman. Dark grey hair, vibrant, if slightly angry violet eyes. "Wha-"

The woman lifted the board again, closing the distance a bit more. "Keep your hands off my Yuki!" She whispered fiercely.

Tohru stared at her in shock. "Wh-what!"

"He's mine! You can't have him!" She snarled, bringing the board down again, this time, striking her shoulder.

Tohru sunk under the blow. "Iie...don't hurt me, please..." She was confused, why was this happening to her! She hadn't done anything!

"Don't you every touch my Yuki again!"

Hands grabbed her throat and Tohru gasped for air. She couldn't speak, she couldn't breath. Tears filled her eyes, falling down her face. 'Someone, please save me...' She was beginning to black out.

"If you don't leave this house, I swear, you'll regret ever knowing the name Sohma..." She hissed. "And you'll break another promise, because I'll tell the world..."

Tohru looked up at her in shock.

"I'll tell the world their secret!"

Tohru pulled away from her, running into the forest. Tears filled her eyes as she ran. She couldn't let her promise be broken! She'd swore that she wouldn't! She had promised them! They were her family, breaking that would be...

She tripped on an upraised root, feeling a sharp pain shoot through her ankle. She let out a cry of pain, touching it lightly. She heard someone yelling, and wondered if it was that woman again. Instinctively, she hid herself among the shrubs, trying to avoid being seen.

She clasped the amulet tightly, praying that she would remain safe, that no one would find her.

"Tohru-kun!"

"Tohru-san!"

She heard two concerned voices call her name and lifted her head, seeing two people stumbling through the woods. She would recognize their voices anywhere. "Shigure-san..." She whispered softly. "Y-yuki-kun..." She felt her strength leave her and darkness quickly swallowed her.

Shigure looked towards the bushes. "Over there, Yuki." He said evenly.

Yuki nodded, hurrying over to the bushes. He found Tohru unconscious and there was blood trickling down the side of her head. He knelt beside her, gently taking her pulse. "Tohru-san..." He said softly, giving her a gentle shake. "Tohru!"

She wasn't responding to him.

He bit his lip, sliding one arm under her knees, the other under her shoulders. "Shigure, she's hurt!" He said, hurrying over towards the older boy.

"Then let's get her home, shall we." Shigure frowned deeply, wondering idly what had made the girl run like she had. She was late in returning, and so they had gone out to get her, finding only a beam with blood on it near the garden.

Naturally, the news of this had sent the rest of the household in a panicked search of the area to find her.

Thankfully, she was found.

Yuki looked down at her face, feeling a strange tug in his chest. "Why were you out here by yourself, Tohru-san?" He idly wondered, as they walked back towards the house. Shigure could call the rest back. He would tend to her himself. She hadn't screamed. No one had known she was hurt. No one knew...

He closed his eyes. Dammit, he hadn't been able to protect her.

When they reached the house, he immediately went upstairs, setting her against her bed. She was stirring. A breath sighed out of him. "Tohru-san?" He asked timidly, wondering if she maybe wasn't now suffering from amnesia.

Her eyes opened slowly and she looked at his heartbreakingly worried face. "Yuki...Kun?" She asked softly.

He wanted to cry. He looked at her, his throat closing off all the things he wanted to say to her. He merely clasped her hand gently, resting his forehead against it. She was okay. She remebered him. He felt himself shake, and a sob was ripped from his chest.

Tohru looked at him in shock. "Yuki-kun?"

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Tohru...if you ever run off like that again..." He said softly. "I swear...I will find a way to punish you."

Her eyes widened. "B-but-"

"Why did you run away, Tohru?" He whispered. "What happened!"

She couldn't look at him. "I...I don't remember." She lied. She heard him sigh and bit her lip. She couldn't tell him what she was planning to do. If she did, then he might try to keep her from leaving.

He looked directly at her and his eyes narrowed. "Promise me you wont leave again." He said softly.

Her eyes widened. "D-demo-"

He saw the fear on her eyes and a sudden suspicion filled him. She did remember what happened. He ground his teeth together. He heard the door open and Kagura hurried in, bringing some bandages.

"Would you like me to help?" She offered, seeing there was a rather dark expression on his face. She knew his answer before he opened his mouth.

"No, I'll do it myself."

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Kyo heard Kagura come back downstairs and looked towards her. She had a strange expression on her face as she did. "Oi, is she okay?" He asked, getting up, walking towards her. "Did she say what happened?"

"She's awake...and I don't know." She looked up at him, feeling strangely pensive. "Things are incredibly tense up there." She admitted, sitting down beside him.

Shigure frowned deeply, glancing outside. Something had happened when she was in the garden...and she wasn't telling anyone.

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"I'm not leaving until you promise me." He said evenly as he cleaned the wound on the back of her head. They had been tense with silence for quite awhile till now, when he had broken the awkward moment.

She blushed faintly. She didn't want him to leave, anyways. "Yuki-kun, I don't think I can..." She said softly, wincing a bit as he cleaned her head.

He picked up the bandage, wrapping it around her head gently. "I can't make you if you don't want to." He admitted. "But I can tell you this..." He looked down, biting his lip. "If you don't tell me what's wrong, then there's nothing I can do to help make it right..."

She blushed brightly. She felt him finish bandaging her head and glanced down at her ankle. "I hurt my ankle, too..." She said softly, trying not to look at him. She saw some concern on his face and he moved down, gently probing her ankle.

He frowned, then looked at her. "Tohru, what happened in the garden?"

She knew she should just tell him the truth. "I...I tripped..." She finally said.

"Liar." He whispered, getting angry with her. "Why don't you just tell me!"

"Because if I do, everyone will find out your secret!" She cried, looking up at him, grief on her face. "I don't want to break my promise!"

His eyes widened. Someone else knew their secret! "I think it's time you told me the truth." He said softly, taking both of her hands in his.

She took a deep breath. He was right, of course. He was always right, after all, he was Yuki-ouji-sama. "Someone hit me today, with that beam. They said...that if I don't leave, they'll tell your families secret..." She looked down, tears threatening.

"What did they look like?" He asked, gently cupping her face.

"It...it was a woman...I think. She had dark grey hair and..." She paused, looking into the bottomless pools of violet that were his eyes. "She had your eyes..." She realized, her eyes widening.

He froze. "What?" He just short of whispered. Fear chewed at his insides. Not her. Anybody but her.

"Yuki-kun?" She leaned towards him, seeing fear in his eyes.

Akito, his dad even, but please god, not her.

"Who is she?"

He swallowed hard, shaking his head. "Tohru, don't worry about it. I am going to talk to Shigure. We'll figure out something, but please, for my sake, don't run off again...and don't leave the house without one of us, okay!"

She stared at him confused. "Yuki-kun? What's wrong?"

He gripped her shoulders, holding her still. "Just promise me, okay!" He searched her eyes and saw there was a great deal of confusion in them. "It'll be okay, I swear, but you have to promise me you wont leave the house, okay!"

She swallowed hard. "Okay, Yuki-kun. I promise." She whispered.

He took a deep breath, then kissed her forehead lightly. "Thank you." He whispered, then straightened, walking out of the room.

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Everyone waited for him downstairs.

They looked up when he entered the room, and Kyo spoke up. "Oi, kuso nezumi, are you okay? You're kinda pale..." He blinked. "Well, more than usual anyways."

Yuki slowly sank to the floor. "Tohru...told me what happened earlier today. She...was attacked." He waited for everyone to play out their reactions, then raised his hand. "I suspect...that the person who attacked her is the one who caused the curse to reflect upon her." He looked down at his hands, uncertain of how to continue.

"Did she see the person who did it!" Momiji cried.

Yuki nodded, his throat dry.

"Well? We need to go to the police."

Yuki shook his head. "Let me finish...The attacker...threatened to expose our secret if she didn't leave our house..."

Everyone became deathly silent.

"But who would believe them?" Kagura asked. "It's kind of something unbelievable."

"True, but the...person who gave the threat...who...hurt Tohru-san..." He shuddered, then looked at Ayame. He couldn't say it. His voice was failing him.

Everyone watched him pale further.

Realization hit Ayame like a ton of bricks. "Dear god, no..." He whispered, paling as well.

Akito looked between the pair and knew instantly. Even he paled a bit.

Silence reighned for several moments while Yuki tried to collect himself. "It's my mother."

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AN: MUWAHAHAHA! I bet none of you were expecting that when you began this story! BWAHAHAHA! Well, maybe you were. I had to cliffhang this. It's just too good a place to leave everyone hanging. Please keep reading, onegai shimasu! Thank you for the reviews, everybody! See you next chapter! 


	6. Chapter 5: Alone

Reflection By: Demonsaya

Chapter 5: Alone

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AN: ACK! I've never actually read all the manga...I've only managed to download up through manga 5. .; I didn't even Know Yuki's mom existed beyond the readers imagination, so there are some liberties I probably took that might be a little ooc...eto...ano...oh well.

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The atmosphere around the house had grown somewhat darker than normal. Everyone was looking behind their back, never entirely certain what they would find. Tohru, who had almost stopped smiling altogether, was afraid to go outside.

No one had told her yet.

Everyone was to afraid to.

Why was everyone afraid?

Because there were not many things that could cause Akito to pale. If he was afraid, then the rest of them should be downright terrified.

It was a Sunday. Tohru, Yuki, and Kagura had woken up early, going out to the secret base to care for it. Well, in reality, Tohru and Kagura were the ones that were doing the work. Yuki was standing vigilantly as a guard, eyes drawn to where the leaves rustled. His eyes were constantly roaming, while he silently prayed that she wouldn't come back.

Tohru had noticed the change in atmosphere over the past few days and although she wished she could smile, bring the same light into their home, somehow she knew it was impossible until this situation was resolved. She rather wished she could leave, so that her promise would be upheld.

When they were done, Yuki escorted them back to the house. He saw Tohru pause and glanced behind them. That was the first time he caught a glimpse of the person who was terrorizing Tohru. He froze.

Tohru saw the woman again and saw the fireworks going on between she and Yuki. She held her breath. "Yuki-kun..." She whispered.

Suddenly, the woman's violet eyes pinned her down. "Remember my words? I suppose I shall have to prove that I spoke the truth, now..."

"Go away." Yuki whispered, his eyes narrowing.

She looked at him, her expression haughty. "Shut up."

He bit his lip, looking away. He could already feel the electric shocks in his mind, running down his spine, freezing his limbs, rendering him unable to move. "Stop..." He whispered, forcing his hands into fists. "MOTHER LEAVE US ALONE!" He finally yelled, as loud as he could.

A moment later, she was gone.

Tohru attempted to catch Yuki on his way to the ground, but sure enough, POOF! She turned into a mouse, and had to leave it to Kagura.

Kagura sighed, supporting Yuki, who had Tohru clinging to his chest.

Tohru made a solemn decision that moment.

She had to leave the Sohma house.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuki bolted upright feeling a soft hand touch his face. He was met with Ayame's concerned eyes. He frowned, noting his brother's eyes were red, and he held a piece of paper in his hands.

"Yuki..." Ayame began, swallowing. "You have to stop her..." He said softly.

"Stop what? Stop who!" He looked around the room and saw Kyo who was looking anywhere but at him.

Kagura stepped forward. "She's going to leave, Yuki, you have to stop her."

Yuki struggled to his feet. He still felt weak. He wasn't strong enough. He wasn't strong enough to protect her. He forced himself to walk to her room, finding her folding her clothing. "Where are you going?"

She jumped, startled. She felt guilt try to overwhelm her and turned a bit, looking at him. "You're okay..." She smiled sadly. "I was so worried..."

He closed the door behind him, his strength coming back slowly. "So worried..." He gave her a condescending smile. "That you were going to leave while I was unconscious? You were going to leave without a word?" He leaned against the door, looking at her. There were still smudges of dirt on her face. "You must have been truly worried..." He said sarcastically.

She looked at him in shock. "I..." She looked down, a tear falling down her face. Not the first, and probably not the last. "It's not like I want to go...but..." She looked at the ground. "Yuki-kun, if I'm gone, then your secret wont get exposed..." She was afraid for him. She didn't want to see him how he was just a few short hours ago.

He took the few short steps towards her, grabbing her shoulders, shaking her gently. "I don't care about the family secret!" He whispered fiercely. "Even...even if everyone finds out...as long as you're with me...it's okay."

She felt an ugly flush color her face. Another tear rolled down her face. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay by his side, but she couldn't let that woman frighten him anymore. He had looked more terrified than when he had seen Akito with her at school that first time.

He closed his eyes, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "Please..."

"I...I don't want that woman to hurt you." She whispered softly.

He swallowed hard, straightening, turning her to face him. "Tohru, if you leave this house, she wins. I..." He took a deep breath, forcing himself to look in her eyes. "I don't think I can face her again without you..." He watched the tear roll down her face and lifted his hand, brushing it away. "You give everyone in this family strength, you are our livlihood." He paused.

"Yuki-kun..." She whispered, blushing furiously. She had to leave, but she wasn't sure she could go on without being here. She was so happy here before this all began.

"I remember...the last time you left us. That time...you hadn't stayed with us very long...now..." He shook his head. "Tohru, I don't want to be alone again." He whispered, searching her face. She was blushing, her eyes lowered shyly.

"Demo...I..."

"No." He said firmly. "Promise me. Promise you wont leave me here alone!" He demanded, forcing her gaze to his.

She met his face, seeing all the turbulent emotions in his eyes. She could never deny him anything, didn't he know that. She blinked a tear away. "I promise..." She whispered.

Happiness surged through him and he pulled her as close as possible, kissing her firmly on the lips. Everything, all the stress and fear drained out of him when their lips met. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, hold her against him, know what it was like to hold someone. But that wasn't possible. He slowly moved both hands to her face, cupping it gently. He pulled away, looking into her big blue eyes. "Arigatou..." He whispered.

She stared at him, wide-eyed, seeing him smiling again. Smiling for the first time in days. Her heart throbbed and she uncrossed her fingers. It was worth a white lie...to see him smile at her like that.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuki woke up the next day to someone crying. He turned his head and saw Kagura hugging Kyo and sobbing like her heart was broken. Kyo wore a stricken expression on his own face. He held Kagura, trying to comfort her.

Yuki slowly sat. He looked around the room and saw everyone wore odd expressions on their face. Hatori's back was to the rest of the room, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose. A sign that told Yuki he was trying to keep his own feelings from manifesting themselves.

Ayame and Shigure's eyes were ringed with red.

"What's wrong!" Yuki demanded.

Kagura looked at Yuki, then pressed her face back into Kyo's chest.

"Yuki...It's Tohru..." Kyo began softly. He saw disbelief cross the boy's face and knew this was going to be a blow that the boy couldn't defend against. He didn't know how to tell him.

"Tohru-kun...she..." Shigure began, then he and Ayame clung to each other, bursting into loud sobs.

Yuki felt the color drain from his face. "Where's Tohru!" He demanded. She couldn't have left. She promised. She promised him she wouldn't leave him alone!

"She's gone, Yuki." Hatori said softly. "She's gone."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Tohru slowly unpacked her belongings in the small room her grandfather had seen made up for her. She had left in the middle of the night, calling the house in the early hours of the morning. Her grandfather had been overjoyed that she was returning to live with them.

Her aunt and uncle were far less accomidating. Her cousins were worse.

They had made up a large closet for her to sleep in. There was a cheap guest futon laid out on the floor. She had laid down and fallen asleep on it, not waking until her small alarm clock beeped her awake. She stood, getting ready for school. Then, she remembered, she couldn't go there anymore. Besides, it would hurt too much, especially after she had lied to Yuki.

She had crossed her fingers while making her promise. An action that she knew would nullify it.

She couldn't stay there and risk the exposure of their secret.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kyo and Kagura fixed breakfast that morning. After all, they were the most kitchen capable. Yuki had disappeared not long after he had learned the news. They hadn't seen him since.

Shigure sat at his computer, and closed his eyes, and when they opened, he began to type the words to his latest story onto the screen. A story that had no ending yet. A story that he wasn't sure how to end. He hoped Yuki and Tohru would fix that...or he'd have to find less interesting characters.

Hiro and Kisa sat in the main room, the former holding the later while she cried for her onee-chan.

Ayame sat silently on Tohru's bed, holding his sketchbook, looking at the design he was trying to work on. A beautiful dress. After all, the kids had prom coming up and he couldn't disappoint Tohru-kun. While he worked, Mine cleaned the room diligently.

Hatori was silent during Akito's check-up. Both of them were lost in thought. They couldn't believe she had just left. She hadn't left a word, she had just disappeared into the darkness.

Yuki sat in his garden, looking at the strawberry bush he'd planted for Tohru. His eyes were red. His chest hurt. Tears still filled his eyes, falling down his cheeks. When had he last cried for someone like this?

It had been years.

He had shakily reached out to his pillar of strength, silently begging the older boy to take him away with him. Only to have the person turn away, leave him.

It had happened once again...and now he didn't know what to do.

"Tohru..." He whispered, lowering his head, another tear rolling down his face.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Tohru looked up from the mop bucket. "Yuki-kun?" She could have sworn she heard his voice. She could have sworn she heard him call out to her. She felt horribly miserable suddenly. The mop fell from her hands and clattered to the floor. She ran to the phone.

Her shaking hands misdialed the number several times before successfully executing it. It rang three times before Shigure's voice answered. "Shigure-san!" She gasped, feeling panic overwhelming her.

"TOHRU-KUN!"

He sounded shocked.

"Is Yuki-kun there!" She asked. She glanced out the window. It was starting to rain. He could get sick if he was caught in this!

"No, he's been gone...since he found out about you leaving...Tohru-kun, why did you go!"

"Because...I can't have your family's secret exposed because of me." She said softly. "I'm sorry. Tell Yuki-kun...tell him..."

"Wakatta."

She closed her eyes. "Send someone out to find him...I think he'll be at his secret base...It's raining...I...I don't want him to get sick."

There was a long moment of silence. "Okay, I will. Where are you?"

"With..." She covered the mouth piece. Her cousins were yelling at her to finish her chores. "I'm with my grandpa." She said. "I gotta go, I have to finish my chores..."

"Tohru-kun, wait a second-"

She hung up, just as her cousins came storming into the room, their faces angry.

"YOU IDIOT! What the hell is this bucket of water doing in the middle of the floor!" The boy asked, kicking it, sending water across the floor.

"You better hurry and get this house cleaned up, or you're gonna get it when mom and dad get home." The girl snapped.

Tohru bowed, feeling tears pierce her eyes. "Hai...I will."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuki heard someone calling him and looked up, seeing his brother carrying an umbrella. "Ayame?" He asked softly. "Please, leave me alone."

Aya-san sighed, shaking his head. "Ah, I would, dear brother, but the angel called, worried for your health. Shigure promised her we'd bring you inside."

He felt a bit faint. "Tohru...she called?" He asked, standing, feeling his knees trembling. That's right...he hadn't eaten yet...

Ayame watched his brother's eyes roll back and caught him carefully. He shook his head, picking him up and carrying him back to the house.

When they got there the older members of the family were deep in discussion about what should be done. Ayame set Yuki down, slapping him awake. Kyo came out, dropping a bowl of what vuagely resembled soup in front of him.

Yuki was so hungry, it could have been dog food.

"What do you think we should do, Akito? She's your sister." Hatori pointed out.

Akito looked at the ground, rather annoyed that this would fall upon him, being related to that witch. "There's not much we can do. We don't know where she is."

"How about we start with the main problem. I dunno, like her threat." Shigure held his cup so tight, Ayame was mildly worried he would break it.

Kyo leaned against the wall. "You know, we could always just...let it slip ourselves. Then she loses her leverage, right?"

"Let it slip how!" Akito asked, his eyes annoyed. "We've kept this secret for years!"

Ayame felt a wide grin spread across his face. "Well, then perhaps it's time to let the cat out of the bag...figuratively speaking of course." He added, upon seeing the rather annoyed glare he was receiving from Kyo. "This is a completely fabulous, scandalous, unbelievable secret! It's a media FIELD DAY!"

The head of the house sipped his tea, frowning slightly. "You have a point..."

Yuki lifted his gaze. "Huh?" Expose the family secret! Why were they going this far? Blue eyes filled his mind and he took a deep breath, knowing that if it meant she could come back, he would tell the entire world. He looked into the soup for a long moment, then back at Ayame. "You know, Onii-chan...sometimes, you actually have half-decent ideas."

"OHOHOHO! Of course I do! It's what made me such a wonderful class president back in high school!"

Everyone rolled their eyes. Ayame was such a weirdo.

"Now, here's the plan...it's going to take a few days to pull it off to the best possible effects, but that's okay! We'll soon have our Tohru-kun back and everything will be right as rain all over again!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Tohru listened to her cousins argue over what to watch on TV, and sighed, continuing to sweep the floor. Although she had only been gone from the Sohma house for a few days, almost a week, it felt like forever. After all, even though she was doing all the same chores she'd done there, this family had no appreciation for all the work she did.

She closed her eyes, until a familiar voice caused her head to jerk upright.

"Hello."

She looked around, uncertain where the voice was coming from. It sounded just like Akito, the family head. Slowly her eyes moved to the TV and she saw him standing in front of a podium. "Akito-san?" She whispered.

"I am here today, to clear up some speculations that suround my family, and to put an end to all the rumors of homosexuality, vampirism, and..." He looked down at his notes. "Ah, yes...members of my family spontaneously changing into animals when embraced by members of the opposite sex."

"He isn't..." Tohru whispered.

Her cousins stopped their argument to look back at her.

"Most of these rumors are absolutely false. Except for one. My family..." He paused, then glanced towards Hatori, who nodded. "Bears a curse. It has been there, handed down from generation to generation for many years. That curse we call the Junishii curse."

Tears filled Tohru's eyes. They were telling the world? Why would they go so far? It couldn't just be for her-

"When embraced by the members of the opposite sex, or when we become extremely weakened, we change into one of thirteen animals from the Junishii legends."

Laughter errupted, and Ayame stepped forwards. "This is not a joke." He said, then pulled Mine up beside him, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Before the entire world...Ayame turned into a snake.

A tear fell down Tohru's face. "Aya-san..."

Yuki stepped forward, looking at Akito, putting a question into his eyes.

Akito nodded and stepped backwards.

"My name...is Sohma Yuki. Some of you know me from school. I am also one of the thirteen aflicted by this curse. I am here to implore someone to come back to us. She left because she was told if she didn't leave, our secret would be exposed. Well, we just exposed it ourselves. So..." He lifted his gaze to the camera. "Honda Tohru, I beg you, it's time to come home."

Her cousins gasped, staring at the TV screen. Their eyes went to her and they saw tears falling down her face. "MOM, DAD! TOHRU'S FRIENDS ARE FREAKS!" They jumped up, running from the room.

Tohru did the same, except she ran in the opposite direction.

She was out the front door and down the stairs in no time.

She left so fast, she forgot to make sure she had something very important with her.

Something that rested on the floor in the closet beside her bed.

The amulet.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

AN: Another chapter done. I could have made this two very short chapters, but I like it better this way. Anyways, love it, hate it, please review me. 


	7. Chapter 6: The End of the Beginning

Reflection By: Demonsaya

Chapter 6: The End of the Beginning

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

AN: Um, in response to those wonderful souls that have been giving me reviews for each and every chapter I have...well, I wont say slaved away on...but that I have put out, thank you. You all are the people that keep these fingers clacking away at the keyboard.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Honda Tohru, I beg you, it's time to come home."

She was out the front door and down the stairs in no time.

She left so fast, she forgot to make sure she had something very important with her.

Something that rested on the floor in the closet beside her bed.

The amulet.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuki sat stiffly, pretending to ignore the cries from the girls outside. How his fanclub had tracked his family there was beyond him, but he knew he could live with it as long as he saw Tohru again.

He glanced across the car at Akito. "Do you think she saw it?"

"She has a Television, doesn't she." He said, looking incredibly bored. "Then she saw it."

Yuki wasn't so sure. He sighed as they stopped at a stop light. "Maybe I should have gone to her...told her that it was okay for her to come home-"

Hatori slammed his foot on the brakes to avoid hitting the girl who had just run directly in front of their car. "SHIT!"

Yuki looked up, and his eyes widened. It was Hanajima. He jumped out of the car, running towards her. "Hanajima-san!" He asked, visually checking her over. "Are you okay!"

"I misread her reading!" She gasped. Her face was pale. "I'm not getting an answer at her grandfather's home!" She shook him. "Yuki, if we don't hurry, something very very bad is going to happen to Tohru!"

Like Yuki needed to hear anything else. He turned to the car. "I'm going to Tohru's. Don't try to stop me."

Hatori glanced back at the head of the family, who merely nodded. "I think I shall pay a visit to my sister..." He said, then rolled up the window.

Yuki and Hanajima ran down the street, while he quickly dialed Uotani's number. "Uotani-san!"

"Uwhat!" She drawled into the phone. "Yuki-ouji-sama?"

"STOP THAT!" He snapped. "I just ran into Hanajima-san. She said Tohru's in trouble!"

Silence. "I was there ten minutes ago."

When the phone beeped, he threw it behind him to the psychotic fangirls chasing after him. He reached the house, and drug Hanajima up the stairs to the front door. He began pressing the doorbell frantically.

Her cousin answered the door. "Wha-!"

Yuki pushed into the house, immediately looking for Tohru. "Tohru! Tohru, where are you!"

Hanajima frowned. "She's not here..." She walked towards a small closet and threw it open. A soft cry escaped her as she knelt on the ground. The amulet! She picked it up, and a tear fell down her face. "Am I too late!" She wondered.

"Get the hell out of here, you freaks!"

Yuki glanced towards Hanajima, then at the boy. He took two steps towards him, then hit him in the face. "Shut the hell up!" He snarled, then saw her grandfather step out. "Where's Tohru?" He whispered, his heart throbbing.

Her grandfather gave a small smile. "I believe she ran out to find you, sir." He bowed. "She probably hasn't gone far. She only left a few minutes ago."

Yuki and Hanajima looked at each other, nodding. They ran into Uotani as they left. She didn't say a word, just fell into step behind them.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Tohru resurfaced from the blackness slowly. The last thing she remembered was a hand hitting her firmly in the back of the neck. She slowly opened her eyes, holding her head. "Ite..."

"Stupid girl."

She sat upright and saw Yuki's mother glaring at her. She hugged herself, backing away slightly. "Where am I?" She asked, looking at the woman. Behind her was another girl, who she recognized from school. "Motoko-san?"

The girl snorted. "Shut up, you dumb rat."

Tohru froze. She looked down, realizing she was once again tiny and furred. "Why are you two doing this to me!"

"I had no idea anyone else wished you ill will till I saw her kidnap you." Motoko shrugged. "I just want to drive a wedge between you and Yuki. You don't deserve him. He's special."

"He's a freak." The boy's mother said firmly, her eyes narrowed. "I don't ever want to see one of those disgusting smiles on his face. I want to destroy his happiness."

Tohru realized with a sinking feeling that these two, while working seperately had ultimately assisted in each others final goals. Her out of the way. "But the secret has already been revealed, how are you two going to stop him and I from seeing each other!" She had to stay strong! They would find her!

"By killing you, of course."

They answered in unison. Yuki's mother stood, walking towards her, holding a knife. Motoko grabbed her, holding her tightly in her hands.

She couldn't breath. She gasped, as the armed woman approacked and she knew her only way out of this was to take advantage of the one weapon she still had. She opened her mouth, a mouth that only ever said gentle things, and bit Motoko's hand as hard as she could.

Motoko screamed, releasing her.

Tohru hit the ground running. They weren't going to get their hands on her again.

Tohru made it out the front door, down the steps, and promptly disappeared into the bushes. She continued running as fast as she could. She gasped for breath, hearing them chasing after her. When she hit the forest, she watched the pair split up and silently gave a prayer for Yuki to find her. To save her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Are you SURE!"

Shigure sniffed the air frowning. "I know how it sounds, okay, but it came from a reliable source."

The older generation, which included Akito, Hatori, Ayame, and Shigure stood in front of the abandoned house, wearing disbelieving expressions. "Shigure..."

"Hey!" Yuki ran up. Behind him were all the younger Sohma's, as well as Tohru's two best friends. "You guys are here, too?" He glanced towards Hanajima, who was looking at the forest. "Is she near, Hanajima-san?"

"I'm picking up her waves, but they're weak." She tilted her head to the side. "That one card...The reversed lovers card...it didn't represent the same person as the Queen of Swords...They're two seperate people..." She looked at Yuki. "The ace of swords...her challenge is about to begin."

Everyone stared at her wearing strange expressions.

She blinked at them.

Everyone sighed, shaking their heads. "So, what's the plan?" Kagura asked, clinging to Kyo's arm.

Ayame looked at the younger kids. "We're going after mom." They looked at Yuki. "You should stay here."

Yuki snorted.

Kyo nodded. "The rest of us can look for Tohru." He saw Hanajima tilting her head to the side. "What, wierdo?"

She looked at him. "You and the others should go that way." She pointed into the back part of the forest. "The other one is looking for Tohru in that direction. Yuki and I will track Tohru from her vibes."

Kyo frowned, but nodded. "Alright. We'll meet back here then?"

Yuki watched as everyone walked into the forest, then glanced back at Hanajima. "Hey, why didn't we go with the others?"

"Do you love Tohru-chan?" She asked evenly, looking at him in the eye. "Don't bother lying, I'll know if you are."

He blushed furiously. "Do we have to do this now!"

She nodded. She dangled the amulet in front of him and looked directly at him. "She ran off without this, she's in danger. You should probably answer me quickly."

He turned away from her, his hands fisted. He blinked in shock when he felt Hanajima place something around his neck. He looked down and saw the amulet and blinked, looking towards her. "Doushite?"

Hanajima merely smiled secretively. "Let's go find our friend, shall we?"

"What about my answer?"

The pair began walking into the forest, and Yuki was staring down at the amulet. He sighed heavily.

"I'm not that worried about your answer. Sometimes, it's the actions that speak louder. Besides, the voice in your head is screaming it."

Yuki blushed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Tohru hid in the bushes, watching as Motoko passed her by. She scrambled from them, and up into a tree. She could hear her shouting out to her.

"Stupid girl, you're a mouse now. How could any boy love a rat! You aren't anything but a disgusting animal now!"

Tohru felt an ache in her heart. Could that be true? Would Yuki not like her anymore, now that she was an animal. The words hurt her a lot, but she tried to ignore them. She had to escape!

"HAH! FOUND YOU!" The girl started shaking the tree furiously. "COME DOWN HERE, YOU RAT!"

As Tohru watched, Yuki's mother almost arrived, and she clung to the tree for dear life. "IIE! STOP IT!" She cried.

Then, hands were trying to pull the pair away from the tree. Tohru saw the Sohma's. All of them. Except for Yuki. Tears filled her eyes.

Her claws lost their grip in the bark and she felt herself beginning to fall. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the ground to make her go splat.

It didn't.

Instead, two warm arms wrapped around her, catching her as she fell. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into beautiful violet eyes. "Yuki-kun?"

POOF!

Yuki expected to feel himself change.

That didn't happen.

Instead, all of a sudden, his arms were full of girl, for the first time in his life, he was holding someone. He flushed brightly, as the girl in his arms was completely stark naked.

Hanajima silently removed her cloke, wrapping it around the startled girl.

Tohru stared up at Yuki, her face flushed brightly. He came for her. He tried to protect her. His arms were wrapped gently around her waist, and he was staring at her. Was she still a mouse? If she was, what was that awful draft? She glanced down and turned an even brighter shade of red. She pulled away, wrapping the cloak tighter around her body. She looked up at Yuki, who still looked striken.

He looked at her, as if seeing her for the first time all over again. I hugged her...he realized. But I'm still me, and she's...He grabbed her by her shoulders, pulling her close again and hugged her tightly.

They waited for nearly a minute, waiting for what should have been inevitable.

Nothing happened.

Yuki wanted to laugh, to cry, to do something, but he couldn't think of what to do, so he just pulled her closer, resting his head against her shoulder.

"Hey...wait a minute..." Ayame stared at them. "Shouldn't one of them have transformed?"

Hanajima smiled wider. So she was right. The amulet was absorbing the magic from the curse when they hugged. She looked at Uotani and saw she was looking at her with a suspicious expression. She blinked innocently. "What?"

"What did you do to that boy?"

"Nothing." She said honestly. "He's just wearing an amulet."

Yuki reached down, looking at the amulet. He turned it over and saw the kanji for rat inscribed into the back. He almost facefaulted. Of course. That would explain why Tohru had changed back when she touched him. But then...why hadn't he changed himself...unless...He paused, raising his eyes to Hanajima.

She arched an eyebrow, nodding.

"Hanajima-san..." he said, exasperated. "How long have you had these things? How long have you actually known the truth?"

She smiled a bit. "Why, since you came to our school of course." She said, beginning to walk past them. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a handful of amulets. "That's the only free one. I gave it to Tohru, since she is my best friend." She looked at the others, who were gaping at her. "The rest can be purchased...for five dollars a piece."

Everyone gaped at her. "WHAT!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Tohru returned to school the next day. Everyone was talking excitedly before she and her friends walked into the room. When they entered, a hush fell over them. They all looked at Yuki and Kyo with wide eyes. Then, their eyes went to Tohru, who was smiling as she walked to her seat.

"Uwah! I'm jealous!" One of the girls whispered to another. "To have a guy expose a secret like that for me! It's so romantic!"

One girl went over towards Yuki, blushing furiously. "Ano, Sohma-kun...is it okay if I see your curse?"

Yuki blinked in surprise. He glanced towards Tohru, who was smiling brightly at him. He sighed, reaching up, taking the amulet off and handing it to her. "Very well." He said.

Everyone in the room stared in shock. He had agreed!

Tohru watched the girl hug him and the normal occurance happened. Yuki disappeared into a puff of smoke and all that was left was the small white rat with purple eyes. Girls suddenly surrounded him, giggling and talking about how cute he was. Then their eyes went to Kyo, who suddenly felt very nervous.

Tohru smiled, gently lifting Yuki from the desk. She scooped up his clothing, walking with him down the hall. She reached the boy's locker room and set his clothing on the sink just inside the door. "Come out when you're done, okay?" She kissed the top of his head and smiled brilliantly at him.

Everyone who walked past just kind of shrugged. They had seen the news articles, and tv reports about the Sohma family. It wasn't that strange to them. After all, wierder things could happen.

He nodded, disappearing into the bathroom.

About five minutes later, he emerged, and kind of looked embarassed. He handed her his tie, and she giggled, wrapping it around his neck and tying it carefully. Then, she put the amulet over his neck, pressed herself onto her toes and kissed his cheek.

He smiled a bit, tilting his head to the side. "Are you sure you don't mind?" He asked softly. "I mean, everyone probably thinks we're a little strange."

She smiled at him brightly. "Well, what do you know, I've always been a little strange anyways, so it's okay. Besides..." She looked down at the floor, blushing. "As long as Yuki-kun has no objections, then neither do I..."

"Oh, come on, you two!" Uotani hissed from the corner. Hanajima was right behind her, both were watching the two with distinct interest.

He smiled at her shyness. He gently scooped up her hand, placing a gentle kiss on it. "Honda-san, would you do me the honor of being my first and last girlfriend?" He asked, watching her face become covered with a sweet blush.

"Why, Yuki-kun, I would love to." She said softly, smiling up at him. She closed her eyes when he leaned down, kissing her softly on the lips.

"HELP ME!"

The two broke apart to see the other Sohma's running down the hall past them, most of the school population chasing after them. Momiji was smiling cheerfully, Kyo looked like if he turned any redder, he'd match his hair, and Hatsuharu looked only moments away from going black on all of them.

Tohru laughed softly.

But for the first time, every last one of them were relaxed. Yuki put his arm around her shoulder, holding her against his side gently. Besides, it wasn't a big deal anymore.

Sharing the secret...had only made each one of them stronger. And no one seemed disgusted by it. They only seemed curious. And from that curiousity, surely more, stronger friendships would form for the family, and each would be able to pursue the person they chose because of Hanajima's charms.

Looked like even this strange fruits basket of people could have a happy ending after all...even with an onigiri holding it all together.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

OWARI!

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

AN: Well, now that that's done...okay, hope you all aren't too disappointed. It's just...They always have the fics where true love is what ends the curse...but if you look at Hatori, he was in love with Kana, but the curse didn't end for him, so I doubt that would work for any of the rest. I picked the best way out that I could. I hope you enjoyed my story, and until next time, ADIOS! 


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